Namecheap - Domain and Hosting Registration

Domain Registrations - Namecheap Inc.

Namecheap is an ICANN-accredited domain name registrar, which provides domain name registration and web hosting, based in Phoenix, Arizona, US. Namecheap is a budget hosting provider with 11 million registered users and 10 million domains.

Namecheap has been a trusted partner for our critical domain names. As we continue to grow, we know we can always count on them.

We’ve been using Namecheap for all our domains for years, and have always been able to count on them. Their technology just works, and their support is phenomenal. Highly recommended!

With a high-value domain name like Privacy.com, it’s important to use a registrar that you trust. We can sleep at night knowing that Namecheap is keeping our asset secure.

Namecheap has quickly become our default registrar for the various domain names we use as part of our Buffer offering. A clear and intuitive dashboard combined with wide support across a number of top-level domains and a responsive team add up to an unbeatable experience. 

 

Every step to online success

Bring your website to life, and help it thrive

 

How to build a website?

You’ve decided to build your first website: Congratulations! A website is your identity and brand on the Internet, so it’s important to make it just the way you want it.

If you’re worried about where to begin or intimidated by the complexities of web building, don’t be. We’ll walk you through the process of building your website in the clear and easy steps outlined below. You’ll learn the basic elements of a unique and impactful site for business or personal use.

 

Building a website

All websites begin with three basic elements: a domain name, hosting, and a platform.

 

Domain name

Your address on the web. It's the part that comes between "http://www." and ".com".

 

Domain basics

Every website needs a domain name. Your domain is like the street address for your house. It will allow people to find your website and link to you.

But what should your domain name be? If you have a business, that should be an easy question to answer, since your website should match your business name. If you're creating a personal site or blog, though, you can get a little more creative with your name.

  

How to choose a domain name

A domain name will look something like http://www.yoursite.com. It's common to use your organization or business name here. For example, if you own a bookstore, you might choose thebookstorename.com. The same format would work for pretty much any other business name.

If you don't already have a business name, it's a good idea to choose one based on what might be available as a domain. This is a great opportunity to match up your business and online identities from the start.

TIP: There's a huge selection of great domain extensions besides .com. Why not get creative with something like .club, .life, or even .pizza?

For more help on choosing a domain name, check out our articles on Why Your Domain Name is Your Business and the Right and Wrong Ways to Register your Domain.

 

Further reading

What is a Domain? →

Why Your Domain Name Is Your Business →

Right (& Wrong) Ways To Register a Domain Name →

 

Hosting

Where all the data and information about your site are kept. If the domain is your street address, hosting is your house.

 

Hosting explained

Now that your site has a name, you'll need a place to keep all the stuff that's going to go on it–some "real estate" upon which you can build that beautiful virtual house with all of your photos and stories, and products. We call that real estate web hosting.

All web hosting happens on a server, which, in the simplest terms, is a remote hard drive connected to your computer by (you guessed it) the Internet. This server stores all of the documents, images, data, and files associated with your website.

Since the server holds all your important stuff, it's important to choose a reliable provider that ensures your content will stay live and protected. When you bought your domain name, the registrar (the company that sells domains) may have offered to include a web builder plan which included hosting. Alternately, you can install software, such as WordPress, to help you create your site.

 

Further reading

Learn How to Choose the Right Hosting for Your Site →

What Is Shared Hosting? →

Managed WordPress Hosting →

 

Platform

The tools with which you make your website and the space in which it's created.

Site builders and WordPress

If you're building your first website, you may not have the time or expertise to create it completely from scratch. That's okay—we all need a little guidance and inspiration to help us along.

That's where site-building platforms come in. They provide the practical tools and resources used to build and design your site, from layout templates to text editors to design elements. This is a great option if you have limited or no experience with web building and design, or if you just want a quick, no-nonsense setup process.

 

However, if you want more control over the customization, functionality, and personalization of your site, and you've got a little more technical know-how (or even just the time and desire to learn!), we recommend installing WordPress. An entire ecosystem, complete with plugins and add-ons, WordPress offers an all-in-one site creation option. Learn more about why WordPress is a great option and how to get started.

 

Further reading

Why Choose WordPress? →

Learn About the WordPress Dashboard →

Learn About Namecheap’s Website Builder →

 

Connect

How do I connect my hosting with my domain?

You’ve got your domain for a unique site name, and your hosting plan where all your site data lives. But how do you connect the two, especially if you’re dealing with two different providers?

Meet DNS (short for domain name system), the series of networks that keep the people and computers that make up the Internet talking to each other. By attaching the right nameservers to your site, the connections between your domain and hosting provider are kept clear - allowing the data to run smoothly.

Click the hookup link to see how to connect your nameservers and DNS, whether you’re a Namecheap customer or you use another company.

 

How do I keep my site secure?

Like anything else you own or care about, your website data needs to be protected. Safer sites mean more confident customers and a more trustworthy brand for your organization or business. And since everything on the web is connected, your online security contributes to a safer Internet, like a link in a chain.

 

Here are three things you can do right now for a safer website:

 

SSL

Protect your site with HTTPS, encrypt your data, and verify where it comes from and where it goes.

 

Verify & encrypt

The useful security tool with a boring name, Secure Sockets Layer (or SSL) certificates are a security add-on for your domain. If you’ve ever visited a web address that starts with “HTTPS”, has a padlock icon, or turns green when it loads, it means that the site is secured with an SSL.

 

So what does an SSL do for you?

SSL certificates serve two main functions for your site’s security: they keep your data encrypted as it travels to and from your site, and they verify that the sites your data comes from and goes to actually are who they say they are. Pretty important when your site is talking to banks or the government agencies, or handling e-commerce.

As a bonus for your business, SSLs can also help improve your search engine ranking. Without HTTPS, in fact, your site will be flagged as "not secure" on Google’s Chrome browser.

SSL certificates come in several levels of security, so it’s important to choose the one that best suits your site.

 

Further reading

HTTPS: Secure Your Site and Boost Your SEO →

Google Chrome to Flag non-HTTPS →

Choose the Best SSL for Your Website →

 

DNS

Assign the right nameservers to your site to keep the connections between your domain and hosting provider clear, and your data running smoothly.

 

The phone book of the Internet

Say you wanted to visit our website, Namecheap.com. It’s as easy as typing “namecheap.com” into your search bar and hitting Enter, right? This is thanks to the Internet’s domain name system (DNS, for short). DNS allows you to type familiar words and names into your browser or address bar when searching for websites and sending emails, instead of a long string of numbers.

Here’s how it works: When you search for a domain name in a browser, it sends a query over the Internet to match the domain name (words) with its corresponding IP address (numbers). Once located, it uses the IP to retrieve the website’s content and return it to you. Pretty cool, huh?

This essential process works behind the scenes in a matter of milliseconds, but it doesn’t mean there’s no risk involved. In fact, hackers can interrupt and hijack the process as quickly as it happens, spoofing your site data and committing fraud without you even knowing it until it’s too late.

Adding DNS protection ensures your site data is properly sent and received by the right parties. It also makes it more likely that searchers end up on your site, which can help your business.

 

Further reading

Why You Need Premium DNS for a More Secure Site →

 

VPN

Keep your connection encrypted and anonymous when on-the-go i.e. browsing non-secure and open networks like public WiFi.

 

Safe, anonymous, global browsing

A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, allows you to connect to the Internet using a hidden and encrypted network. VPNs are commonly used by employees who want to safely access their work files from remote locations, but they can also mask your connection for browsing privacy or let you bypass regional network restrictions.

Using a VPN when you connect keeps your network details anonymous and hidden from third-party interference. This is a crucial thing to consider if you’re often away from your trusted home or office networks. VPN keeps your connection secure when you’re on open, public WiFi networks.

Safety shouldn’t slow you down, either. When choosing a VPN service, be sure it incorporates speed as well as security and protection online.

 

Further reading

Users Don’t Feel Secure Online →

Namecheap Keeps You Safe Online →